San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

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Girl, 17, killed at trolley station; suspect held. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080918/news_1m18stabbing.html

The 80-foot solution. How San Diego might finally break out of its trolley deadlock and get back to work. http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/the_80_foot_solution/7204/

'It's been a very good ride'. Trolley system's manager retires. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080814/news_1m14trolley.html

The rules of the rail. Editorial writer Eryn Brown says now that we're using more mass transit, we've got to learn riders' etiquette. Just as using your blinkers and yielding the right of way can make driving more pleasant and efficient, adhering to bus and subway etiquette can make public transportation run more smoothly. On the Metro escalators -- especially the super-long escalators in some Red Line stations -- stand on the right and let pressed-for-time walkers pass on the left. When a bus or train arrives, stand to the side so riders can get off before you get on. Blocking the doors doesn't help anyone. Once you're on a standing-room-only bus, move to the back. Once you're on a train, move away from the doors. Don't block access to seats. Don't put your feet on seats. Don't put your bags on seats. Don't shove. Don't shout. Don't wait until the last possible nanosecond to request your stop on the bus. If you carry a big purse or backpack, don't swing it around. Offer your seat to older riders, disabled riders, tired-looking pregnant women and children. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-etiquette12-2008jul12,0,289853.story

Governor hands S.D. $9 million for new buses. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080611/news_1m11gov.html

Transit center amenities now facing demolition. June 7, 2008. EL CAJON: Bus and trolley riders who pass through the busy El Cajon Transit Center will soon lose access to the restrooms, concession stand and Greyhound Bus Lines office at the Marshall Avenue hub. That's because the Metropolitan Transit System plans to demolish the building that houses those services in the next several months. There are no immediate plans to rebuild, though the agency's goal is to attract commercial or residential development there. The move troubles some El Cajon city officials, who are worried about the effect on commuters and how the station will look once the building is gone. Those who will feel the change most acutely are the the 8,000 or so people who use the station every day. When the building is leveled, public restrooms will no longer be available. Portable restrooms will be added for employees. Security officers will still be stationed at the site, but without a desk. And Greyhound's ticket office will probably move.MTS officials say the building is beset by structural problems and vandalism. Immediate fixes – replacing the roof, plumbing and electrical wiring and the heating-and-air-conditioning system – would cost nearly $300,000, and the agency doesn't want to invest in a building it will eventually raze. The MTS hopes to spark developer interest in the property, which is about 7 acres, but has no proposals yet. The cost to demolish the building is expected to be about $250,000, said Peter Tereschuck, MTS president and general manager. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080607/news_lz1cz7region.html

2 transit districts to increase fares as fuel costs rise. Trolley, bus, rail riders all affected. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080607/news_1m7fares.html

Proposed transit-fare hikes irk commuters, panelists. Complaints vented at SANDAG hearing. Coaster train commuters complained that they would have to pay $1 each way, or $40 a month, on the Sorrento Valley Coaster Connection – shuttles that they now ride for free between the Sorrento Valley station and employment centers. Because most of the funding to operate the shuttle at no charge is drying up, SANDAG is proposing the fare. Combined with a proposed increase of $14 for a monthly Coaster pass, the boosts in train and shuttle fares could add $54 a month to some riders' commutes. “It's going to drive people back to their cars,” said Mike Winter of Oceanside, who works in Sorrento Valley. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080531/news_1mc31fares.html

bikes

bike lockers http://www.ridelink.org/Commuter_Services/Biking/bike_lockers.asp

Fares

Mass transit fares rising across the board

A regional planning group on Friday adopted a package of fare increases for public transit systems that will be felt from Oceanside to San Ysidro. One-way tickets on the San Diego Trolley will be set at $2.50 for rides of any distance beginning Sept. 1, with the Metropolitan Transit System scrapping a fare structure based on the number of stations traversed. Trips within the downtown area will remain at $1.25.

Day passes for the North County Sprinter train and Breeze buses will go to $4.50 on July 1, a 50-cent increase, while monthly passes will be $59, up $5.

On the Coaster commuter train, one-way cash fares will increase 50 cents. A monthly Coaster pass will be $129 to $168, depending on zones traveled, an increase of $14 to $15.

A ride on the previously free Sorrento Valley Coaster Connection will cost $1 per trip, or $40 for a monthly pass.

The increases were unanimously approved Friday by the board of directors of the San Diego Association of Governments, a panel of elected officials, to help the transit agencies cope with increasing costs.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080613-1438-bn13fares.html